Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has been asked to make a statement to Dail Eireann clarifying his capital spending priorities for key public transport infrastructure projects in 2010. Labour Transport Spokesperson Tommy Broughan said the Minister must come clean on threats to transport capital spending. He said the Minister has refused requests to meet with the Dail Transport Committee before the upcoming budget to discuss transport capital spending priorities. He said the Minister Dempsey has also refused to indicate what his capital spending priorities are for 2010 even though this means that key T21 public transport projects now appear to be in “serious jeopardy”. He said: “The Minister was one of the first cabinet Ministers to criticise the McCarthy Report earlier in the summer when he reportedly called the McCarthy proposals on transport 'baffling'. “Yet, Minister Dempsey went on to make very disappointing comments himself last week to the effect that critical Transport 21 infrastructure projects including the proposed Lucan Luas will be delayed indefinitely and completely miss their T21 deadlines.” He added that it makes “no economic sense to abandon public transport infrastructure projects” - most of which are being built through Public Private Partnerships. He said T21 infrastructure projects would also provide significant means to boost employment in the construction sector. |
